How To Move Away from High School Writing

• No more traditional 5 paragraph essays
  • You don’t need to start with the introduction. Instead, try to start with your initial favorite ideas or quotes and expand from there.
  • Write your introduction last, after you have a good sense of what you’re writing.
  • Make your paragraphs short and readable. They don’t need to be perfectly capped with topic and concluding sentences.
  • Rewrite and revise your thesis after you’ve finished the first draft of the essay. Your argument has probably changed!

• Don’t be afraid to use “I”
  • Double check with your professor first (but they’ll probably say yes!)
  • Lean into personal stories, strong statements, and the active voice
  • Avoid statements like “I think” or “I believe”
  • Look at the readings: how are those authors using “I”?

• Take risks!
  • Humor is okay, and even encouraged (in moderation)
  • Professors are humans, not machines and not AP Graders. They want to be entertained and learn along with you.
  • Think about your own “red line”–the point where a reader may lose focus

• Meet with your professor
  • Office hours can be beautiful spaces for growth and learning. Your professors want to talk to you about your writing!
  • You can meet with your professor after you get comments back, not just before you submit an assignment.

How do I have fun with my writing?

• Embrace you passions
  • Keep a list during the class of things you feel passionate about
  • Find ways to connect your extracurriculars, hobbies, and background to class material

• Break up your process into smaller pieces
  • Keep a check list. Things can be as small as “create a blank document” or “print out my essay.”

• Find your “duck”
  • Whether it’s a parent, friend, peer, sibling, ~writing center tutor~ or a real rubber duck, find someone with whom you can verbally process your essays.

• Reward yourself! You’re working hard!
  • Find new places to study
  • Romanticize your writing process (you look just like Hemingway!)
  • Eat fun snacks
  • Use colorful pens
  • Celebrate your little victories

• Bring your work into the Writing Workshop
  • We’re so fun! More importantly, we want to meet with you.
  • Make an appointment today using Accudemia!

[Developed by Writing Tutors Emma McTague ’23 & Emma Nathanson ’25 • Writing Workshop Winter Study Series • 1/11/23]